


New York, Rio, Rosenheim

by Actual_Dunwich_Horror



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Getting Together, Grubi is sad but Z comes to the rescue, Homesickness, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Songfic, Z's in an open relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-05 07:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18361598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actual_Dunwich_Horror/pseuds/Actual_Dunwich_Horror
Summary: Philipp hears a song that reminds him of his home in Rosenheim, Germany, causing him to become homesick. A certain Russian defenseman happens to notice.Or,5 times that Philipp is comforted by Z, and one time that Z needs comforting.





	New York, Rio, Rosenheim

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [eafay70](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70) in the [wesmashing](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wesmashing) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> "Philipp is from Rosenheim, Germany.  
> There's a song called "New York, Rio, Rosenheim" named in part for that city.  
> [(video here)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i4psfAjnAE)  
> [(lyrics and English translation here)](https://lyricstranslate.com/en/new-york-rio-rosenheim-new-york-rio-rosenheim.html)  
> Maybe someone finds Philipp listening to the song in an attempt to combat homesickness? Maybe the team attempts to sing it to him? The possibilites are various!"
> 
> If you found this by googling yourself or anyone you know, please turn away. This is all completely fictional. Etc.
> 
> I loved this prompt so much, I couldn't help but pick it up! I've always wanted to write about Grubi. My love for him has grown so much this season. This whole thing is basically set in another universe where Grubi is the starter and Francouz is the backup. Timelines? Who needs them. As for the deli that is mentioned in this fic, I based it off of an actual place that is in Salt Lake City. I've visited it several times and I'm in love. Also, the song in this fic sadly isn't on Spotify. It's on YouTube though. Thanks to batcat for looking this over! I hope you all enjoy this!

Sometimes English can get to be a bit exhausting for Philipp. Meeting others in Denver who happen to speak German is practically impossible, so most of the time he’s confined to speaking English. Which, his English is a hell of a lot better than it used to be, but it’s still just. Different.

So, Philipp likes to listen to podcasts or music in German. It helps him to feel more at home, and it’s generally refreshing to hear his native tongue. Sure, he’s been in the U.S. for quite some time, but still. The change in scenery to something more familiar is nice.

It’s the day before a game against the Stars when Philipp is on the team bus scrolling through his Spotify Discover Weekly, and the title of a certain song catches his eye. He stares at it for a moment, wondering if his eyes have tricked him, but no, it really says the name of his hometown.

_ New York, Rio, Rosenheim. _

Philipp fumbles for his earbuds, putting them in and starting up the song. It’s a rather upbeat, catchy tune, and the lyrics are inspirational, but hearing the name of his home alongside his first language causes something to pull in his chest, and he becomes painfully aware of just how far away Germany is.

 

1.

The day of the Stars game, Philipp listens to the song again. 

He can’t help it, really. It’s a good song, and something about it feels familiar, even if it only worsens the somewhat lost feeling in his chest. He zones out, staring out the window as the team eats breakfast at the hotel before practice, not joining in with the conversation like he usually does.

Sitting to his right, Z nudges him, offering a bright smile when he snaps out of it and looks over.

“You okay, Grubi?” He asks; the cheerful look on his face unwavering.

Philipp nods and sighs. “Yeah, still a bit tired, I guess.”

Z’s smile softens, and he turns away to continue chirping at Compher and Jost, but not before leaning back and resting his arm across the back of Philipp’s chair.

He doesn’t really think much of it. Z’s always been pretty affectionate towards them all.

//

Philipp loses the game that night, and it stings.

This one hits him hard, although he isn't sure why. He wasn’t shut out, and their goal deficit wasn’t too bad, but for some reason, he can’t help but feel that this one is his fault.

He goes to the locker room with his head down and takes off his gear in complete silence. A few of his teammates try to talk to him, but all he responds with is a glance and a deep sigh. At one point, Gabe barks for them to leave him be. Philipp silently thanks his Captain.

Without warning, Z is suddenly nudging at Francouz, prompting him to scoot over, and he sits next to Philipp. He’s still in half of his gear, and he doesn’t say anything at first- just watches as Philipp goes to work undoing the buckles on one of his leg pads. Once he gets it unclasped from the bottom of his skate, he sits up and turns to look at Z, who has a concerned expression on his face.

“Grubi,” he says, voice softer than usual.

Philipp doesn’t respond. Instead, he shifts his hold on his loose leg pad, and sighs.

In reality, Philipp wants to yell and shout until his throat is hoarse, wants to spill his feelings about how something isn’t right, how he’s tired of the losses, how he just wants to go home. But he stays silent, and when he turns to look up at Z again, he feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

Z seems to understand. He nods, meets Philipp’s eyes and pats his shoulder, then gets up and heads back to his stall.

Philipp doesn’t miss the worried looks that Z constantly shoots his way.

//

He certainly doesn’t miss how Z makes it a point to sit next to him on the plane rather than with Mikko like he usually does.

Philipp just stares out the window, looking into the distance through the dark night sky. He doesn’t say anything to Z, and Z manages to actually remain quiet for once as well.

But, having Z by his side is actually more comforting than he’s willing to admit.

 

2.

A few days later, the whole team is dragged to EJ’s house for his and Sven’s birthday party.

Philipp is always kind of quiet at parties. He still has fun at least, loves to try and let loose by knocking back a couple of beers and chatting with his teammates. He just wasn’t one to get rowdy or loud like some of the others.

This time, though, he elects to just grab a beer and stand off to the side, watching as his loud teammates have fun. He could join in if he wanted to, but tonight he was just… not feeling it. Lately, things have been feeling a bit off, and he would prefer to have the time to himself, but he didn’t want to seem rude by not showing up.

So the time goes by, and he ends up finishing his beer, not really in the mood to grab another, so he just sets himself down on an unoccupied end of the couch in EJ’s living room and scrolls through his phone a bit. At the top of his screen, he sees the little Spotify icon, reminding him of the last song he listened to.

_ New York, Rio, Rosenheim. _

He swipes it off of his notifications tab and huffs out a sigh.

Checking the time, he decides that he’s been there for long enough that it wouldn’t be rude to leave, and he goes and bids EJ and Sven goodbye, but is stopped by Z on his way out.

“Whoa, Grubi, leaving already?” He says a little louder than Philipp would’ve preferred. He’s not drunk (they would all know if Z was drunk), but he was definitely buzzed.

“Yeah, I’ve just got a bit of a headache,” Philipp lies. At this point, he just wants to get home and lie in bed. Maybe read a book or something. He just wants to be alone.

The way Z’s face suddenly drops changes his mind a little.

“Gru, are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been, kind of… wanting away from the team.” he says, his voice lowered. He’s leaning towards Philipp, towering over him slightly, and in that moment it honestly feels like it’s just the two of them.

“Yeah, I guess I still just need a bit of time to get used to being here,” he lies, trying to avoid eye contact. He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets pointedly, but he can feel the force of Z’s gaze on him.

“Can be hard getting used to, I know,” Z smiles sweetly at Philipp, eyes crinkling at the corners. “But, once you are used to, you’ll love Denver. Love this team. I promise.” He wraps an arm around Philipp’s shoulders, and the weight of him feels warm. Comfortable. Definitely not something he should think too much into.

//

He thinks about it quite a bit once he gets home.

 

3.

Philipp wins a game at home, gets a shutout even, but something in him still doesn’t feel whole.

He smiles along with his teammates and accepts their helmet taps and hugs, but as he skates off the ice, he keeps his head down as he thinks to himself.

They interview Philipp, because of course, and it’s only mildly irritating.

The team starts chattering about going out that night, and a few of them start ribbing Philipp about going with them since he  _ is  _ the first star of the night. Philipp just turns them all down with a smile, saying that he’s worn out and would rather head home. 

He’s half expecting Z to stop him and try to talk him into going since that’s seemed to be Z’s style lately, but he just hugs Philipp on his way out and promises to text him later.

And, it’s not that Philipp doesn’t like the way Z has been growing closer to him, it’s just… a bit surprising. He’s not his usual obnoxious self around Philipp, tries not to be too loud or overbearing, but rather, he speaks fondly to him as if he were talking to his wife or daughter. Philipp can’t help but notice the way Z’s face lights up whenever he notices Philipp laughing along with his jokes or when they meet eyes across the room, and it honestly makes his heart flutter. 

Thinking about it though… only makes the empty feeling worse. He knows he can’t have Z, knows that Z is doing this all to be a good friend and nothing more. And it makes his heart ache a little because he knows he can’t have one of the few things that’s been making him feel more whole. 

//

Philipp listens to the song on his way home from the rink.

When he gets home, he showers and ignores the texts that keep popping up on his phone. He turns the ringer down to silent, puts his phone on the charger, rolls over and tries to fall asleep.

It’s hard, though. His thoughts keep wandering, and he can’t help but toss and turn.

Philipp thinks about home. Rosenheim. He thinks about D.C. and his old teammates. Winning the Cup. He thinks about coming to Colorado and meeting his new teammates. He thinks about his future as a starter in the NHL. He thinks about Z.

It all becomes overwhelming, and he chokes out a sob as a few tears begin to roll down his face, hitting his pillow. 

He wishes he could have a break. From everything. Just for a moment.

 

4.

The Avs are holding a fan event when Philipp meets a shy young boy in an Avs jersey who approaches him with his family in tow, greeting him in German.

Philipp’s heart does a somersault in his chest, and he kneels down to be on the same level as the boy responding with a bright smile. The boy’s parents explain to Philipp that they moved to the U.S. from Germany before he was born and that they’ve been huge Avs fans since they moved to the States. So naturally, they were ecstatic to learn that the team’s new goalie is German as well, and their son became an instant fan.

Philipp signs their son’s jersey and snaps a photo with them all before hugging the little boy and telling him that it was great to meet him. Philipp’s heart melted a bit as he walked away, waving goodbye as he went.

Z suddenly comes up behind Philipp, resting a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump at the sudden contact. He looks up at Z, who has a sheepish smile on his face.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he says. “Just. That was sweet, you know.”

Philipp sighs and nods, leaning into Z’s touch. He can’t really help it. There was something about him that felt almost… grounding. “It’s nice, being able to speak German sometimes. I miss it.”

Z smiles and slings his arm over Philipp’s shoulders. “I know that feeling. Can be hard being so far all the time.” 

After a moment of silence, Z speaks up again.

“You’re from Rosenheim, right? What do you miss?”

Philipp’s shoulders droop, and a long list forms in his head. There’s so much he could go on about, but in reality, it’s…

“Everything,” he says, voice low. “I’ve been here for so long, I should be used to being away by now, but… I don’t know. It still hurts, I guess.” He runs a hand through his hair and looks away, the ache in his chest only growing. He feels Z begin to lead him away from where they’re standing, and he follows blindly.

Eventually, Z has him in an unoccupied hallway, and sits on the floor against the wall, patting the spot next to him. Philipp follows suit.

“I know how it is. It’s hard, being so far. Can make you feel lonely, yeah?” Z asks, his tone serious.

Philipp nods, unable to meet Z’s gaze, “Very.”

“I’ve been wanting to ask for long time now,” Z says, more nervous than Philipp has ever heard him. He reaches down and takes Philipp’s hand in his, prompting him to meet Z’s dark eyes with his own. “There’s place I want to take you for dinner.”

Philipp stares at him in shock. Did Z just… ask him on a date? He tries to form a response in his head, but nothing seems to make sense, and his thoughts become a scramble of German and English.

“Like…” he manages to get out, prompting Z to further elaborate.

“Like on a date. Yes,” Z smiles, cheeks growing red.

“But… you… you have a wife.” Philipp stutters. He’s met her before, and she’s a kind, beautiful woman. The last thing he wants is to cause an upset.

“Oh, don’t worry. We have… open relationship. Make sense?” Z clarifies cheerfully.

Philipp considers that for a moment before nodding. Z wasn’t the first person he’d met who was in an open relationship and he doubted that he’d be the last.

“You’re sure, though? About… going on a date with me?” Philipp asks. It all just feels so… unreal. Like he’s in a dream.

“As long as you are okay with it, yes.” Z replies, voice soft.

Philipp nods, a bright smile flashing across his face. He intertwines Z’s fingers with his own and squeezes his hand softly. “Yeah,” he says, “I’d love that.”

 

5.

After the fan event is over, Z ends up driving them to downtown Denver, where he gets out and leads them to a little hole in the wall delicatessen with a sign out front that says “ _ Siegfried’s German Deli. _ ”

Philipp stops and stares at first. This place… How hadn’t he ever heard of it? He glances over at Z, who’s got a sunny grin on his face as he watches Philipp realize where they’re at.

They head inside and there are rows and rows of imported German foods, souvenirs, and magazines. On the far end of the deli is a kitchen and a register to order food at, and glancing at the menu above, Philipp recognizes a lot of his favorites from home. There’s so much to take in, and Philipp feels tears prick at his eyes, but he does what he can to hold them back.

Z rests his hand on the small of Philipp’s back and leads him towards the register where an older woman with an accent greets them and takes their order. Philipp responds to her in German, and she seems absolutely delighted to chat with him. He asks about the delicatessen, how long it’s been here and where she and her family are from. It’s nice. Comfortable. Familiar.

He eventually joins Z where he found a table in the corner. There were a few other people in the restaurant, but not many, and they seemed to pay Z and Philipp no mind. 

“So, what you think?” Z asks, a knowing smile on his face.

“It’s amazing. I’m surprised I didn’t know of this place sooner.” Philipp says, getting a bit choked up. “I see a lot of things I recognize from home…” he trails off, standing up as he goes to look at the small isles of German groceries. Z follows, looking around with interest. He grabs a couple of things and takes them up to the register to pay, but Z quickly interjects and insists on paying for it all, despite already being the one to pay for dinner. 

The gesture hits something inside of Philipp, and he can’t help but let a few tears slip from his eyes. The moment is bittersweet- he longs for home and the familiarity of Rosenheim, yet here is Z, who is trying his best to help Philipp in his time of homesickness by taking him to what might be the closest thing to home he’ll get in Denver. He couldn’t help but feel overcome with emotion, both for this beautiful little deli and for Z.

Z turns and notices him crying, a flash of concern spreading across his face. “Grubi, what’s wrong?”

Philipp takes the bag that the woman had placed his items in and heads back for their table, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. Z moves to sit next to him rather than across from him.

“I just-” he stutters, not quite able to form the words. He takes a breath and continues, “You have no idea how much this means to me. You’re just… you’re so nice. I don’t know what to say except… thank you, Z. I appreciate this.” He offers Z a half smile, still trying to get himself to calm down a bit.

Z leans forward and pulls Philipp into a hug, wrapping his arms comfortingly around the goalie’s frame. “Always, Grubi. Anything to see you happy again.” Philipp returns the hug, smiling into Z’s shoulder, and his stomach flutters when Z suddenly presses a soft kiss to the side of his head.

Maybe he’d come to know Denver as his second home a bit sooner than he’d think.

 

+1.

Philipp catches Z staring out the window on the plane the night after a rough loss against the Capitals.

It wasn’t exactly the best night for anyone. Philipp got shut out against his old team. Tyson Barrie’s point drought only got stretched out even further. Kerfoot took a hard hit to the boards and didn’t come back for the rest of the game. And to top it all of, Z got into a fight with Wilson, and Ovechkin of all people had been the one to heckle him and give him shit for it.

Philipp remembered it vividly, how nasty it was to watch Ovi and Z spew Russian at each other as Z was escorted to the box.

It was obvious that something had struck a nerve with Z. He was never this quiet, not even after they’d lose. Not even around Philipp. It was worrisome.

He took Z’s hand and intertwined their fingers, trying to get Z’s attention. He looks over, an unusually tired expression on his face. It makes Philipp’s heart sink.

“What’s wrong?” he asks quietly.

Z strokes his thumb over the back of Philipp’s hand in thought. “Just sucks, you know.”

He remains quiet in response, prompting him to continue.

“Everything. Losing, being away… I want to go back to Russia, even for little bit, but… I can’t. It’s hard.” He says sadly.

“I know. And I’m sorry,” Philipp lifts up Z’s hand in his own and presses a kiss to it comfortingly. He recognizes then why Z gets so protective when Philipp goes through a bout of homesickness. Seeing him like this is honestly a bit heartbreaking.

“I’m here for you though, okay? Your wife and daughter are at home waiting for you too. We all love you and understand why you feel this way. You’re not alone.”

It was hard for Philipp to work up to where he could admit that he loves Z, but he found that more recently, it became quite a bit easier.

Z nods, a small smile appearing on his face. He turns to look at Philipp, and there are stars in his eyes. “You’re right, Gru. Thank you.” He says, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek.

Philipp leans over and rests his head on Z’s shoulder, and Z wraps an arm around him.

“Talk to me,” Philipp says, closing his eyes. “I know speaking Russian helps sometimes.”

He can hear the smile in Z’s voice as he goes on about something in his first language. The rumble of his deep voice helps Philipp to relax, and when Z gets a hand in his hair, he practically begins purring. Soon, though, he falls asleep, content to know he could make his big boyfriend smile and feel a bit better when things weren’t the best at his home away from home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! Find me on tumblr @holtbys-beard!


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